Why Being a Ballperson For the U.S. Open Is A Lot Harder Than It Looks

Every year, thousands of U.S. Open fans gather at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to watch the greats play their very best, and hopefully break a record or two while they’re at it. The event simply wouldn't be the same without a Serena Williams serve, Rafael Nadal backhand, or Novak Djokovic grunt.

While the tennis stars display incredible athleticism, being a ballperson—the person you see running, throwing, and catching tennis balls on the sidelines of a match— also requires a substantial amount of athletic ability. A ballperson is responsible for making sure gameplay doesn’t slow down, which is a lot more complicated than it looks.

I wanted to see if I had what it took to be like the stealthier athletes on the court, so I took things into my own hands and scheduled a time to try out to be a ballboy—because yes, you have to try out, just like any other sport. While I try to get to the gym as often as I can, the last time I did anything remotely competitive was somewhere between elementary school and puberty. In other words, I knew this tryout would require a revamping of my athletic spirit. (Want to play tennis like the pros? Check out these tips.)

When I arrived at the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, I slipped into some more appropriate gear—a fresh pair of white shorts and a classic polo. I made my way to the courts, where I waited alongside other ballperson hopefuls. I was lucky enough to save myself from potential embarrassment by taking part in the "Media Tryouts," where I was surrounded by others who were just as unfamiliar with the process as I was.

When the tryouts started, Tina Tapps, the U.S. Open's director of ballpersons, provided us with a demonstration and told us about the two positions of a ballperson: a “net”, and a “back”. A “net” is responsible for retrieving the ball from the center of the court when a ball hits the net and throwing it to the nearest fellow ballperson. A “back” throws balls that have fallen out of bounds across to the other side of the court.

Before I was able to actually try my hand at the drill, the staff gave me a scorecard on which the instructors would later write feedback on our ballperson potential. While the demo made the task look easy enough, I knew I would need to put in a decent amount of sweat to even come close to performing like a pro. I was pretty confident about my throwing abilities, but I had a feeling that speed and agility would be what I struggled with the most. (Amp up your agility with these speed ladder drills.)

We started with run-throughs of the net drills, meaning I would need to quickly retrieve a ball that hit the net to speed up gameplay. These were tough, since they tested the three most important athletic abilities a ballperson can possess: speed, agility, and throwing power. One of the instructors working with me, Dorian, guided me on everything from the right way to position your body, to knowing exactly when and where to throw the ball. A self-proclaimed “net," Dorian told me my throwing arm was in pretty good shape, but just as I expected, my speed and agility needed to be kicked up a notch.

When picking up the ball, it is important to not only be quick on your feet, but to also turn quickly enough to make eye contact with the player. This lets you know whether or not they want you to throw the ball back to them, or to pass it on to a fellow ballperson. If your hand-eye coordination is not up to par, you're bound to hold back gameplay. (Need a workout that will help you get stronger and faster? Check out Anarchy Abs, a series of heart pumping 30-minute workouts from Men's Health.)

Building enough power to throw the ball across a 78-foot-long court is as difficult as it looks. While trying out the “back” position, I not only put my throwing abilities to use, but I also had to keep track of the balls being thrown at me. When throwing the ball cross-court, it should reach your fellow ballperson within two bounces or less. With a few small changes to my mechanics, like figuring out exactly the right moment to release the ball, my throw improved tremendously—but you need to be quick and have a killer throwing arm to seamlessly keep up with the legends on the court.

The biggest takeaway? The guys on the sidelines may not look like they have a huge effect on what's going on in the match, but without them, the game wouldn't really be the same. While you might not see me hustling after tennis balls at this year's U.S. Open just yet, I learned a thing or two about what it takes to sweat it out on the court . If you're tuning in, try to notice every courtside throw and sprint—you might be more impressed by their dedication than you think.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.